Chess Openings Lab
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Four Knights Game: Italian Variation

The Italian Four Knights arises when White answers the Two Knights with 4.Nc3 instead of Ng5 or d4. White wants smooth development, while Black can strike with the fork trick 4...Nxe4 or settle into slow Italian play with 4...Bc5.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3
ECO
C47, C50
Engine
−0.15 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
25,675 games in our lichess sample
White scores
51.2%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Against 4...Bc5, keep it slow with 5.d3, then Be3 or Bg5, castling, and later Na4 or Nd5 to hit the bishop.
  • If Black uses the fork trick 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5, keep the bishop with 6.Bd3 and recapture on e4, then play d4.
  • Taking on f7 with the bishop after 4...Nxe4 is the Noa Gambit. It is risky, and the calm recapture 5.Nxe4 is the better practical choice.

Black

  • The fork trick 4...Nxe4 is the engine's top move: after 5.Nxe4 d5 the pawn forks bishop and knight and wins the piece back.
  • After 7.Bxe4 Bd6 8.d4, Black has the bishop pair and open lines. Castle and use the open e-file.
  • 4...Bc5 leads to a quiet Italian setup. ...h6 stops Bg5, and ...Bb4 with ...Bxc3 can double White's c-pawns.

Plans and pawn structure

After the fork trick the center opens: Black has the two bishops, and White plays d4 and castles quickly to fight for the e-file. In the 4...Bc5 lines the pawns stay on e4 and e5, and the game turns into a slow Italian where Be3, h3 and Na4 or Ne2 regroups are typical. Black answers with ...h6, ...d6 and sometimes ...Bxc3 to leave White with doubled c-pawns. Small gains of time matter more than any single tactic.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.15: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. −0.15 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4
  2. +0.13 4...Bc5 5.d3 h6 6.Be3 Bb4 7.O-O
  3. +0.27 4...Be7 5.d4 Nxe4 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Bb5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

25,675 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.2%.

under 120052.4%
1200–159951.3%
1600–199949.7%
2000 and up45.8%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

How to play against it

Try 4...Nxe4 if you know the follow-up: 5.Nxe4 d5 regains the piece and frees your game. If White answers with Bxf7+, take the bishop with the king and push ...d5 to build a big center. If you prefer calm play, 4...Bc5 is fine and leads to familiar Italian structures.

Other lines with this name

The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6.

Questions

What are the moves of the Four Knights Game: Italian Variation?

The Four Knights Game: Italian Variation starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3. Its ECO code is C47, C50.

Is the Four Knights Game: Italian Variation good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.15 at depth 20, which is level. In 25,675 lichess games from our sample, White scored 51.2%. Easy to learn for White but gives Black a comfortable choice; Black players should know the fork trick and the Noa Gambit reply.

What is the main idea of the Four Knights Game: Italian Variation?

White develops a fourth piece and lets Black choose. Black's most direct answer is the fork trick: ...Nxe4, and after Nxe4 the pawn move ...d5 wins the piece back and frees Black's game.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is Nxe4, with Bc5 and Be7 close behind. 4...Nxe4 uses the fork trick, and after 5.Nxe4 d5 Black wins the piece back with a freer position.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.